Daddy Long Legs (1931 film)
| Daddy Long Legs | |
|---|---|
|
Daddy Long Legs (1931) Movie Poster | |
| Directed by | Alfred Santell |
| Produced by | Sol M. Wurtzel |
| Written by |
Novel: Jean Webster Screenplay: S.N. Behrman Sonya Levien Alfred Santell |
| Starring |
Janet Gaynor Warner Baxter Una Merkel John Arledge |
| Music by | Hugo Friedhofer |
| Cinematography | Lucien N. Andriot |
| Edited by | Ralph Dietrich |
Production company | |
Release date | June 5, 1931 |
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.5 million[1] |
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Daddy Long Legs (1931) is an American Pre-Code film directed by Alfred Santell and starring Janet Gaynor and Warner Baxter. The story involves an orphan who is taken under the wing of a wealthy benefactor.[2]
The original story, written in 1912 by Jean Webster, compared the childhood of the wealthy to those in the orphanage. Although suffering under a tough matron, Judy Abbott (Janet Gaynor) manages to cope and help the other orphans through intelligence and hard work. Wealthy Jervis Pendleton (Warner Baxter), who is the benefactor, can't help admiring his young charge, though she doesn't know that he's sponsoring her schooling. She does not realize he has been sponsoring her, even when they meet, through Jervis' niece, who is Judy's room mate; and, the girl who was once alone, has to choose between their growing affection, and a younger suitor.[3]
Cast
- Janet Gaynor ... Judy Abbott
- Warner Baxter ... Jervis Pendleton
- Una Merkel ... Sally McBride
- John Arledge ... Jimmy McBride
- Claude Gillingwater ... Riggs (as Claude Gillingwater Sr.)
- Effie Ellsler ... Mrs. Semple
- Kendall McComas ... Freddie Perkins
- Kathlyn Williams ... Mrs. Pendleton
- Elizabeth Patterson ... Mrs. Lippett (matron)
- Louise Closser Hale ... Miss Pritchard
- Sheila Bromley ... Gloria (as Sheila Mannors)
- Billy Barty ... Orphan (uncredited)
- Edith Fellows ... Orphan (uncredited)
- Clarence Geldart ... Minister at Commencement (uncredited)
- Edwin Maxwell ... Wykoff (uncredited)
- Steve Pendleton ... Sally's Beau (uncredited)
Production
Janet Gaynor had won the first Academy Award for Best Actress in 1928 and Warner Baxter had won the second Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the Cisco Kid in In Old Arizona by the time Daddy Long Legs was released. The screenplay was based on the stage play, Daddy Long-Legs by Jean Webster.[3]
Fox made a French and Italian dubbed version of the film; and, successfully sued a Dutch company, for making a film based on the same material.[4]
References
- ↑ Quigley Publishing Company "The All Time Best Sellers", International Motion Picture Almanac 1937-38 (1938), pg. 942; accessed April 19, 2014
- ↑ Daddy Long Legs (1931), imdb.com; accessed July 23, 2015.
- 1 2 Daddy Long Legs (1931 film), tcm.com; accessed July 23, 2015.
- ↑ Daddy-Long-Legs (1931 film), tcm.com; accessed July 23, 2015.